Thunderbird BASS Speaker Cables

The pioneering cable designer and manufacturer AudioQuest has been the largest cable supplier to the high-end specialist market for many years. Created in 1980 by Bill Low, AudioQuest is focused on the design and development of cables and is well known for the use of multiple connectors in their range of speaker cables. These high-end cables have been built using Bill’s understanding of the mechanisms that cause distortion in cable and have used technology to create superior sounding cables.

AudioQuest has always based its products on performance and sound quality and have taken the design and development of cables and turned it into an art form. Over the years the range of cables has evolved from audio only to data cables, video and digital cables. These cables have been built from the ground up based on the same low distortion principles as the original audio cables.

The results are truly superb with cables that are able to elevate a sound system by reducing distortion and providing a much clearer, harmonious and expressive tone. AudioQuest is sold in over sixty countries worldwide and is the cable of choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

ZERO-TECH (NO DEFINED CHARACTERISTIC-IMPEDANCE) FOR UNCOMPRESSED CURRENT TRANSFER AND LINEAR NOISE-DISSIPATION

The only complete way to eliminate characteristic-impedance mismatches between a cable and the attached source and load is for the cable not to have any fixed characteristic-impedance value. ZERO-Tech accomplishes this by eliminating interaction between the insulation (dielectric) and the cable’s conductors—enabling uncompressed current transfer. All-important transient current is unrestricted, and RF Noise-Dissipation is linearized (consistent octave to octave).

THUNDERBIRD BI-WIRING

When possible, running separate cables to the treble and bass “halves” of a speaker significantly reduces distortion. Bi-Wiring keeps the large magnetic fields associated with bass energy out of the treble cable, allowing the delicate upper frequencies to travel a less magnetically disturbed path, like taking the waves out of the water when you swim. AudioQuest’s RF/ND-Tech (patented RF-Canceling Ground-Noise Dissipation) attracts RF energy away from the amplifier’s output. When properly implemented, Bi-Wiring has always been a cost-effective way to get better performance for the same or less money. With RF/ND-Tech, the advantage of Bi-Wiring is much more dramatic. Because RF/ND-Tech is so effective, BASS model cables are only for 10KHz and below; do not use a BASS cable full-range or on treble. ThunderBird BASS cable is ideal with ThunderBird ZERO. A Bi-Wire COMBO with BASS and ZERO cables joined together at the amplifier is usually most convenient. When Tri-Wiring, use BASS cables on the Midrange and Bass inputs. Caution: Do not Bi-Wire with two ZERO cables. ZERO cables in-parallel can create a very high-frequency resonant peak (ringing), and resulting poor sound. Only use a ZERO plus a BASS cable (whether or not joined as a COMBO). Second best is a single ZERO with AQ Bi-Wire jumpers.

CARBON-BASED LINEARIZED NOISE-DISSIPATION SYSTEM (NDS)

Today’s environment is saturated with radio-frequency noise that is extremely difficult to filter or reject. The frequencies of this noise from satellites, cellular towers, and Bluetooth, etc., are so extremely narrow that a conventional shield, or a series or shunt filter, is wholly inadequate. Much of the low-level signal that carries the harmonics and spatial cues that define high-resolution audio is masked by induced radio-frequency noise. AQ’s comprehensive Linearized Noise-Dissipation System combines multiple shields and a carbon-based linearized resistive network that turns most of this noise into heat. By “linearized,” we mean that the system is equally effective across extremely wide bandwidth, rather than at selected frequencies only, as is more common. The remaining bad energy is effectively drained away from the sensitive amplifier circuits via directionally controlled signal and shield conductors.

MYTHICAL CREATURE COLD-WELDED TERMINATIONS

Mythical Creature cables are Cold-Welded to AudioQuest’s extremely pure Red Copper Spades or Bananas. The bare copper is submerged (hung) in a vat of pure silver instead of being tumbled in a lower-grade solution. AudioQuest speaker breakouts and plug casings are not metal in order not to induce RF Noise into the conductors.